Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s flagship bill to stop children from ever smoking legally will not pass into law before Parliament shuts down before the General Election.
In what is known as the “wash-up,” a number of bills are rushed through Parliament before MPs all lose their seats ahead of the election, including one to quash convictions as a result of the Horizon scandal. However, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill – which would make it illegal for anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 to buy cigarettes or tobacco in the UK – didn’t make the cut.
“The smoking ban, of course, disappointed not to be able to get that through at the end of the session given the time available,” Sunak said today (Friday 24 May).
The bill also included measures to tackle underage vaping, with new restrictions on the display of vapes, packaging and flavours.
Sunak’s surprise decision to call a July election doesn’t mean the ban has bit the dust; the policy is seen a major part of his legacy as Prime Minister and it will likely appear in the Conservative manifesto.
Furthermore, the bill had the full support of the Labour front bench and 160 of the party’s MPs voted in favour of it when the Commons voted overwhelmingly for a ban in April.
Speaking to LADbible on Thursday (23 May), Wes Streeting, Shadow Health Secretary, said: “Labour remains committed to the policy, so that young people today are even less likely to smoke than they are to vote Tory.”
